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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. scale — size or range
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. kid — child
  8. content — happy
  9. pit — in a race
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. firm — a company
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. kid — to tease
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ball — a great time
  18. scale — in music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. content — the amount
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pit — a hole

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com